It's no secret that the holiday season is referred to as "the greatest time of year." For me it's a time to reflect on my faith, spend time with loved ones and enjoy all of the festivities and traditions that come with Christmas. It's always been (and I hope will stay) my favorite holiday. It also happens to always be an extremely busy one for me! I work in retail so to say this time of year is crazy is an understatement. Between longer hours and holiday season traffic, it's both an exhausting and rewarding time. Usually I'm ready to call it a day when work is over, however I also still love embracing as much of the holiday season as I can. Whether you also have a chaotic schedule or just love this time of year, here are my top must-do Christmas Activities! Also be sure to share what your favorites are-- I'd love to hear about them!
Martha Stewart Tree (similar here) | Glitter Candles / Nutcrackers (similar here, here + here)
+ ADVENT CALENDARS
Advent calendars are a tradition I started doing over the last couple of years. We never had them growing up but it's something that I always thought was a fun way to bring a little extra joy to the days leading up to Christmas. Opening a small gift everyday is fun + a simple way to celebrate the season. You can go as simple or as extravagant with this one as you like-- be sure to check out The Best 2021 Advent Calendars here.
+ WATCHING CHRISTMAS MOVIES
I've always loved Christmas movies!! I shared in a recent post how a few years ago I wouldn't have been caught dead watching a Hallmark or Netflix Christmas movie, lol! When I was younger, I always thought they were WAY too sappy and cheesy. I was more of a sentimental + classic Christmas movie kinda gal. I've since embraced them all and even when I'm tired, I love to lay in bed + watch them. You can read about some of my favorites in this post. Should I write an updated list for this year?
+ BAKING COOKIES
My sweet tooth loves the holiday season a little too much. I'm sure I can speak for most of us that it's too easy to indulge in all of the delicious holiday food, snacks + treats. Too easy but necessary! Balance is key so I tend to be a little more lax during the holidays. One thing that's a must do activity for me is to bake some sort of holiday treat-- usually cookies! Whether you make them from scratch or buy the Pillsbury cut-outs, it's the perfect pair to all of those movie marathons.
+ GIFT SHOPPING
I live for gift giving during the holidays! While of course it isn't the reason for the season, it's always remarkable to me how it becomes the greatest season of giving. It's a special time to give and bless others if you're able to which I love. This can also be done in a lot of different ways-- not just through a material gift or present.
+ LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Driving around to look at Christmas lights is one of the best (and free!) holiday activities you can do. Hop in the car with some friends, put on some Christmas carols and drink some hot cocoa while you cruise around town. So magical!
+ HOLIDAY DRINKS
Does anyone not like the holiday Starbucks drinks?? I love them + very year I try to treat myself to a few throughout the season. It's a fun little tradition I look forward to that's festive + delish. Today I tried the Iced Chestnut Praline Latte which had a warm, spiced flavor. Yum!
+ DECORATING THE TREE
I'll be honest-- I don't usually have the time or energy to do a ton of decorating. Retail will do that to you! Lol. One thing that is a non-negotiable is decorating my tree. I put up a little silver tree + a small green 5' which are the perfect size. My 5' still holds a lot of ornaments but isn't massive. Sometimes I have to push myself a little to actually get everything out and get it decorated, however I'm always glad once I do it. There's something about looking at all of the lights + ornaments that brings so much joy during the holidays. I also usually have fun doing decorating once I get started + I love adding a few new ornaments to my collection every year!
What's your favorite holiday tradition?
I love sharing my picks with you! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping. Pretty cool, huh? :)
